


And If I Say

by Ashlanielle



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Love, Love Confessions, Pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 12:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17100803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashlanielle/pseuds/Ashlanielle
Summary: After her hellish time within Rittenhouse, Lucy and García are finally reunited. Yet, despite the joy and utter relief at having her back safe and sound, Garcia comes to realize that not all is truly well. Consumed by grief and guilt, Lucy feels herself going under, but Garcia refuses to let the woman he loves drown.Inspired by If I Say by Mumford and Sons.





	And If I Say

**Author's Note:**

> This is a canon-divergence. This takes place at the beginning of Season 2, and assumes that Garcia Flynn joined the team after the meeting with Rittenhouse, never kidnapping Lucy. Don't worry. I'll give more context in the next part. I just want to set this up. I took inspiration from the song If I Say by Mumford and Sons.

It was the dead of night, and the halls of the rusted-out bunker were silent and deserted save for one lone individual. The lateness of the hour wasn’t a deterrent for Garcia Flynn—not when it came to Lucy. Never when it came to her. 

In truth, Flynn was angry with himself that he had waited this long to search her out. For hours, his mind had warred with itself about what he should do, what Lucy needed from him, just how to proceed after everything that had transpired. The weeks while she’d been missing had been hellish, insufferably interminable. The series of events that had led them to their new location had wrecked the entire team; and with Lucy missing, Garcia had been practically unbearable. They had all tried to be patient and understanding, especially in light of Lucy and Flynn’s burgeoning relationship; but it was clear that without her, Flynn was practically a shell of his former self. He’d had been completely beside himself not knowing where she was, chastising himself relentlessly that he’d not made the connection between Carol and Rittenhouse. That after bringing him back from the edge time and time again, he’d failed to protect the woman who owned him body and soul. 

The moment Rufus, Wyatt, and Flynn had finally found her, a nearly crippling sense of relief had cascaded over him. Their eyes met, and in an instant, Lucy was in his arms, burying her face into his chest as he weaved one hand into her hair, another around her waist, bringing her as close to him as humanly possible. After that, everything was nearly a blur. Rufus and Wyatt embracing her. Lucy relating her plan to destroy the Mothership (something that even now caused him to feel both rage and overwhelming dread.) The standoff between the team, Carol, and Emma. In fact, nothing fell into focus until the Lifeboat arrived at what was now their poor excuse of a home. It was then that he noticed a sudden change in Lucy’s behavior, rendering him completely baffled.

At the debriefing, when he’d taken the seat beside her, Flynn noticed that Lucy moved slightly away from him, refusing to meet his obvious and worried gaze. Several times, he had reached for her hand under the table, but Lucy would not let him make contact, moving every time his fingers grazed her skin. After what had to be the fifth time, she tightly clasped her hands together and rested them on the wooden surface, making it abundantly clear to Flynn that his gestures were unwanted. And as soon as Denise adjourned the meeting, Lucy rose to her feet and practically flew down the hall towards her room. Ignoring the many questioning looks thrown his way, Flynn hurriedly followed after her, reaching her door at precisely the exact moment the lock was turned. He was at a loss as to his next move. What had caused Lucy to be so altered? Should he push and demand answers? After almost ten minutes of waiting outside the door, he reluctantly made the uneasy decision to go to his own room, falling onto his bed with a weary sigh, staring at the peeling ceiling as if it would give him the answers he so desperately sought. 

Finally, Flynn could no longer bear it, and he made the decision to go to Lucy and find out just what had caused the sudden, unwarranted distance between them. When he arrived at her door, he was surprised to find it open, even more so that the room was empty, especially in light of the late hour. Room after room was searched, but Lucy was nowhere to be found, fueling his increasing concern and anxiety. As he turned down the remaining hallway, the faint sound of running water caught his attention. Flynn saw the bathroom door partially ajar, the dim light barely visible. 

Quietly, Flynn opened the door the rest of the way and was instantly arrested by the sight of Lucy at the sink, furiously scrubbing her hands. The steam rising from the steady stream indicated that the water was no doubt incredibly hot. But this didn’t seem to faze the young woman, as she continued to keep her hands under the faucet, her skin becoming redder with each passing second. There was something eerily unsettling about the scene before him, and Flynn couldn’t bear to be in ignorance any longer.

“Lucy… what are doing?”

The sudden sound of his voice caused Lucy to jerk her head upward and stare at him, her dark brown eyes wide, almost fearful. 

“I-I-I…” she stuttered softly, dazed, “I can’t…”

Her broken response made no sense, and Flynn furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Can’t what? What do you mean, Lucy?”

“I… I can’t,” her voice became even weaker, “I can’t get it off. It won’t come off. It... I tried...”

She shook her head and began scrubbing her hands once more, ignoring the pain of her raw flesh. Flynn cautiously approached the sink and slowly reached for her hands. Once again, Lucy shirked his attempt, but he wasn’t having it anymore, not while she was in such a current frame of mind. Carefully, he grasped her hands in his. Upon feeling her scalded skin, he felt a piece of himself break. There was no way she wasn’t in pain with the state her hands were in. 

“Lucy…” 

“I thought I did, but... but the blood…” Lucy suddenly answered. “I-I tried, but it won’t...” 

Ever so slowly, she lifted her gaze. The agony and utter anguish he saw took his breath away, nearly bringing Flynn to his knees. 

“W-Why…” she started, her voice hovering just above a whisper, “why won’t it come off, Garcia?”

Without another thought, Flynn pulled Lucy to him, his arms wrapped protectively around her. A harsh, strangled sob broke free, and Lucy gripped onto the man with a fierceness he didn’t think possible. As relentless sobs were torn from her, Flynn felt the strength leaver her body. Effortlessly he caught her, lowering them both to the cold floor, pulling her fragile body onto his lap. With each gut-wrenching cry, Flynn felt another piece of his heart break, tears of his own threatening to fall. There were so many questions raging through his mind. Questions to which he would most definitely get answers. However, in that moment, questions were insignificant. The most important thing was the woman in his arms; and what she needed most was him. For him to just be there, to hold her while she purged the pain in her soul. And that was he did. He held her shuddering body until her sobs waned into soft tears. Tenderly kissing her forehead, Flynn took his hand and gently turned Lucy’s head upward, forcing her to finally look him directly in the eyes. Tucking a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear, he finally asked the question that had been tearing at him from the moment this whole ordeal began.

“What happened to you, Lucy?”

**Author's Note:**

> I know it may not be the best segue into the next part, but I didn't want to overload everyone with angst. It will end on a positive note, I promise. Comments are always welcome. Thanks for the interest!


End file.
